How valuable would it have to be to not take it out of the house?

[Steve]

You don't want to sell it because you love everything about the guitar.   

There's no such thing as a guitar that I would place that high a value on. If someone wanted if for fifty-large, it's theirs.

[madx2]

Me, too!!

Is there a value that is low enough that you wouldn't sell it but high enough that it would "cramp your style" to take it out somewhere? 

I agree with Cotten a few posts back.  My Taylor is no where near as valuable as his Taylor, but if it were,  I would like to think I would still take it out to my monthly picking session with friends.

For a little update concerning my original post about the valuable violin at church....it turns out it belongs to a violin shop.   I looked at their website and it says you can rent a violin for 6 months for $90 (sounds way too cheap to me).  You have to get insurance for the full replacement cost with no deductible.  So I was wrong in saying someone loaned it to her.  The insurance  takes some of the worry away about replacing a damaged instrument but I would still be too scared to have something that valuable in my possession.

[tnfiddler]

I don't want something that is too valuable to use.  I took my '95 810 to a bluegrass festival this weekend and as careful as I was with it, it got a couple of new dings on it.  Did it hurt it....no!  My Horner fiddle is worth quite a bit of money and it has the usual wear and tear that an instrument is going to acquire when you are using it.  I have always heard that those nicks and scratches and all are just character marks and gives an instrument some attitude!!  I clean my instruments after each use and play the snot out of 'em every chance I get!!!  Would I let a slobbering drunk or a little kid play either one of my instruments...no, but several played my guitar this weekend and they all loved it and a ton of people have played my fiddle.  Instruments are meant to be used and enjoyed!!!  Let someone else have the garage queens and showcase instruments, I want to use mine, not look back and wish I had!!

[jrporter]

I think it depends on the individual and his/her perception of the value of an object...

[cigarfan]

I am not a collector per se. When I purchase an instrument my intent is to make some music and enjoy it! That is the value to me. If an instrument is worth so much duckett that I become paranoid about it, time to put it in a museum or sell it.

[flaggerphil]

I've never owned anything I wouldn't take out of the house and use it as it was supposed to be used.  Don't know if I ever will.

[cotten]

(Cool ride, Phil! Hope to see a full review after you've had it a while.)

cotten

[Justiceandmercy]

How about this scenerio...

Your significant other buys you a used guitar at a fair price.  Time passes and it is revealed  that it had belonged to someone very famous.  What was purchased for, say $1,000 is now instantly worth $50,000.    You don't want to sell it because you love everything about the guitar.  Would you still treat it as you did before it became "valuable"?

if it would end up being worth that much more to someone else I'd sell it, I don't need something that rare or exceptional to enjoy playing... I'm sure that I could find another guitar for less than that that I would "love everything about"

[mgap]

I never play outside of my house, so they never leave.  I do believe like others here, why have a guitar your are to afraid to play out.